Now I love a good Chinese takeout night as much as anyone! No dishes. Order as much as you want with no judgement (well aside from the delivery man)! But did you know you can make it right at home! This soy, ginger and sesame packed asian salmon and stir fry noodles will make you put down the takeout menu!
I’ll admit, I’ve always been intimidated by cooking asian cuisine. It seems so intimidating! There are so many ingredients used to make such delicious sauces, and I’d never want to be the one to disrespect the cultural heritage. But learning what creates such balance in the flavors can help even a novice like me to make this amazing asian inspired dish.
Asian Marinade
Creating Asian flavors can be simple if you let it. The key is balancing flavors. Salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami! Those are the 5 notes most asian food accomplish in some way. Now am I an Asian cuisine expert? Absolutely not! But what I can say is that I can find a few ingredients in my pantry that will get me to that balance.
- Salty- Soy Sauce
- Sweet- Honey/Brown Sugar, Ginger
- Sour- Lime Juice
- Bitter- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Umami- Sesame Oil, Garlic
Find the right balance of those ingredients and you have a great base for an asian inspired marinade.
Stir Fry Sauce
I always imagined that asian cooking involved 37 ingredients. Luckily this dish involves repetition of a lot of pantry staples. The stir fry sauce in this dish contains the same ingredients as the salmon marinade, with the edition of peanut butter (optional) to create a little bit of richness and creaminess.
And now-a-days, every grocery chain has at least one international aisle! So even if you don’t have sesame oil, or rice wine vinegar, or even lo mein noodles, you can easily access them in most grocers.
Want More Flavor Packed Dinners?
Try these delicious, flavor-packed entrees!
- Spatchcock Mojo Chicken
- Slow Cooker Ribs
- Chicken Parm Stuffed Meatballs
- Chicken Thighs with Lemon Orzo Pasta
What Else Can Go in these Stir Fry Noodles?
I put the veggies I had on hand in these noodles (because…COVID!). But there are so many yummy, crunchy veggies you can add into this stir fry!
- Water Chestnuts
- Baby Corn
- Edamame
- Bean Spouts
- Peanuts (Thai flare anyone)?
- Cilantro
Whatever you throw in there, this asian salmon and stir fry noodles comes together in a jiffy! Just a few pantry staples, and you have a supper the family will love. Who needs to pull out the takeout menu anymore?
Asian Salmon with Stir Fry Noodles
Ingredients
Salmon Marinade
- 2 lb salmon
- ⅔ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1½ tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- ¼ cup light brown sugar or honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp mirin optional
- 3 tbsp peanut butter optional
Stir Fry Noodles
- 14 oz lo mein noodles can use rice noodles or linguine instead
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ¾ cup shredded carrot
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- ¼ cup slices green onion for garnish
- 3 tbsp white sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Salmon
- Cut the salmon into equal sized 8oz filets (if not pre-cut).
- In a large bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients except the salmon. Add in the salmon, toss to coat. Let the salmon sit for at least 15 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet with 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil to medium heat. Remove salmon from marinade and pat slightly to dry. Place salmon in the skillet skin side down, allowing the skin to crisp for 4-5 minutes. Flip salmon over and allow to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until it reaches about 125° (for medium), 145° for well done. Allow to rest for 5 minutes
Stir Fry Sauce
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until emulsified. If using peanut butter, make sure there are no chunks left. It should be smooth and slightly thick. Set aside.
Stir Fry Noodles
- Cook noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Strain.
- Thinly slice red bell pepper and onion.
- In a hot skillet with vegetable oil, add in peppers, onion, carrot, and sugar snap peas. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until onions are translucent and vegetables are slightly soft and browned.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add in strained noodles and sauce. Toss to combine. Allow to cook for an additional 3 minutes, tossing frequently.
- To plate, place a serving of noodles on a plate, top with salmon, and sprinkle green onions and white sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately.
